1939: Appeared in three out of the 10 movies nominated for a Best Picture Oscar: Gone with the Wind (1939) (which won), Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) and Stagecoach (1939) (for which he won the Oscar as Best Supporting Actor).
1953: When he claimed the Tony Award as Best Actor in a Musical for "Hazel Flagg", a musical version of the film Nothing Sacred (1937), he became the first performer to claim the Triple Crown of acting awards: Tony, Emmy (as TV's Best Actor of 1953) and Oscar (for Stagecoach (1939)).
Attended Elizabeth (New Jersey) High School and had his first job as a newspaper reporter while a student there. Following graduation, he continued working as a reporter and was hired for publications in Newark, Washington, Baltimore and Pittsburgh.
Brother of James P. Mitchell, President Dwight D. Eisenhower's Secretary of Labor 1953-1961.
Daughter Anne, born of his first marriage, was his only child.
He was cremated and his ashes are stored at a crematorium in California.
He was interred at the Vaultage of the Chapel of the Pines in Los Angeles.
The youngest of seven children born to Irish immigrants who settled in New Jersey, his father James Mitchell, worked in the newspaper industry and died when Thomas was a young boy; his mother's name was Mary.
Was a close friend to John Barrymore and became part of his Hollywood entourage of drinkers and raconteurs, which also included Charles MacArthur, W.C. Fields, Errol Flynn, Roland Young and Anthony Quinn.
Was an avid collector of fine art, which included a Rembrandt panel acquired in 1940 from a Polish prince.
Was originally cast in the classic film The Devil and Daniel Webster (1941) [aka The Devil and Daniel Webster], but while filming when he lost control of a horse-drawn carriage that he and young actor Lindy Wade were riding and it crashed. He was thrown from the carriage and suffered a fractured skull. Edward Arnold replaced him and all his scenes had to be reshot. Wade recovered enough to continue in his film role.